Endangered Egyptian vultures spotted near Delhi

NEW DELHI: Vultures, which had practically become extinct in and around Delhi over the past couple of decades, are making a comeback. This year, there have been three sightings of the primary or nominate species of the endangered Egyptian vulture, a migratory bird for which there are no prior records of sightings near the city.

While this comes as good news, the irony is that the primary reason attributed to their return by birders is the easy availability of carcasses. The largest flock of birds seen this year has been at Bhatti Mines where a couple of roads divide the forest between Haryana and Delhi.

In the absence of a corridor, animals using the road to cross from one side to the other are frequently hit by cars, providing ready food for the birds.

The Neophron percnopterus percnopterus, or the nominate species of the Egyptian vulture with a dark grey bill, breeds in the temperate regions and migrates to the south each year. In March this year, it was spotted in Dighal in Haryana, followed by two sightings in September, one of a single bird in Ghazipur and a flock of over 20 at Bhatti Mines.


Neophron percnopterus percnopterus, or the nominate species of the Egyptian vulture with a dark grey bill, as seen in Delhi. (TOI photo)

Surya Prakash, a Delhi birder who was among the few to spot the Bhatti Mines flock, says it was a mixed flock that had juveniles and sub-adults. “The bird has been mentioned in Bill Harvey’s Atlas of Delhi birds as a rare migrant that can be seen between September and March but of all the records that I checked from the Delhi Birds group and the Oriental Databank on birds, I have only found two other sightings, both of which have taken place this year,” he said.

The sub-species of the vulture, the yellow-beaked Neophron percnopterus gingineanus, are a more common sight in and around Delhi. It is smaller than the grey billed vulture and can be differentiated by the colour of the beak. The third sub-species of the Egyptian vulture has not been reported from India.


The sub-species of the vulture, the yellow beaked Neophron percnopterus gingineanus, seen in Delhi. (TOI photo)

Experts say that the development of Bhatti Mines as a classic example of the Ridge eco-system and the presence of a massive water body has seen the evolution of the complete food chain in the region, including presence of scavengers and carnivores like the leopard, jackals and the striped hyena. The vultures too seem to have found the region a suitable habitat.

“We have records of neel gais and other animals being killed in road accidents around Bhatti Mines, providing easy food for scavengers. This is a classic case of animals coming in conflict with humans. For them the Ridge is one forest and they cannot distinguish between Delhi and Haryana borders. It is essential to have a dedicated corridor for the animals and also supplementary feeding stations for vultures in Asola and Bhatti,” said Prakash.